Multi-weight champion and living boxing legend Manny Pacquiao has confirmed that wants to try and capture a gold medal at the Olympics.
News of Pacquiao’s aims first arose in August when boxing’s only ever former eight-division world champion said he wanted to go for gold at the Paris Olympics in 2024 even despite his age putting him outside the upper limit of 40 for qualification in all sports.
Speaking via Rappler at the launch of the Maharlika Pilipinas Volleyball League, the 44-year-old – whose professional fight card reads 62 wins, eight losses and three draws – has reiterated his claims.
“[I’m] waiting for that and I’m excited about it.”
He added that fighting in the Olympics had always been an aim when he first started boxing as a teenager.
“From the beginning, I went to Manila to be part of the Philippine team, but I wasn’t picked, I was rejected…because they said I was not good. My heart and desire is to claim a gold medal in the Olympics.”
The odds seem heavily stacked against ‘PacMan’ even before he steps in the ring because of the qualification process.
However his local Olympic body has said before they would discuss how he might go about earning a space in the team with the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines and the International Olympic Committee.
All this comes in the wake of the man who served as Senator of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022 saying he wanted one more proper fight before he retired.
Making this happen would represent a statement right up there alongside his marquee wins over the likes of Ricky Hatton, Keith Thurman, Timothy Bradley Jr, Miguel Cotto, Juan Manuel Marquez and Marco Antonio Barrera.